{"id":1459628,"date":"2025-11-20T13:35:43","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T19:35:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/?p=1459628"},"modified":"2025-11-23T16:57:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T22:57:10","slug":"new-simpler-tyler-utilities-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/?p=1459628","title":{"rendered":"New, simpler Tyler utilities bill"},"content":{"rendered":"

TYLER – \"\"Have you ever looked at a City of Tyler utility bill and wondered what \u201cSW Automated Res\u201d was? Many people did. That feedback prompted Tyler officials to evaluate the structure and wording of the monthly utility bills. The new design will launch in early 2026 and uses simplified wording, removes jargon, and makes it clear what each fee goes toward. \u201cWhat Tyler residents commonly call a water bill actually encompasses four utilities: water, wastewater, stormwater (drainage) and trash service,\u201d said Chris Cambra, Water Business Office manager. \u201cSo, it\u2019s not surprising that members of our community were confused at seeing \u2018SW Automated Res\u2019 as a line item on their bills. It stood for \u2018Solid Waste Automated Residential,\u2019 which is your biweekly trash service. Now, it\u2019s simply labeled as trash service.\u201d <\/p>\n

A clear layout <\/p>\n

The new design separates charges by service so customers can see the base rate and usage for each utility. A separate section will list out \u201cother fees and services,\u201d such as late payments, bulky trash pick-up, mandatory state fees, and more. A QR code has also been added for quick smartphone payments. <\/p>\n

\u201cEach line item on your bill goes to a specific fund that can\u2019t be used for anything else,\u201d said City Manager Ed Broussard. \u201cOur water and solid waste services operate like businesses and do not use property tax dollars. When you pay your utility bill, you are funding the maintenance of the critical infrastructure we all rely on as well as improvements that will keep them viable for you and your family in the future.\u201d <\/p>\n

The back of the bill will also include a glossary of the most common charges, with a full list available on the City\u2019s website. <\/p>\n

How the redesign began <\/p>\n

Public concerns about bill clarity and water meter accuracy spurred the redesign effort. In 2024, the City discovered 12,000 water meters were not registering water usage or failing to communicate to the Water Business Office. As the meters were upgraded to track usage accurately, a scheduled rate increase took effect, leading to confusion within the community. <\/p>\n

To help, the City of Tyler hosted after-hours, science-fair-style meetings in each Council district where community members met with Council members and staff to review bills, ask questions, and offer suggestions. The final version reflects that feedback. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis effort started from the feedback of one person,\u201d Cambra said. \u201cThey had some great suggestions on how to make the document easier to understand, and we took that feedback to heart. We created a mock-up design and brought it to the public water meetings, where we got more suggestions and feedback until we landed on a final version.\u201d <\/p>\n

More improvements on the way <\/p>\n

Cambra said his goal is for his office to be a community partner, and they\u2019ve taken the feedback they\u2019ve received and turned it into action. Multiple projects are in the works to improve customers\u2019 user experiences. <\/p>\n

The City is evaluating technology upgrades that will expand how customers can pay their bills and manage their accounts, both online and in person. These upgrades are still being finalized, and more information will be shared once details are confirmed. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe are working toward the largest technology upgrade in more than a decade for Tyler customers,\u201d Cambra said. \u201cWe have customers of all ages and from all walks of life, and we want them to interact with us in whatever way works best for them, whether that’s online, by phone, or in person, and have a great experience every time.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

TYLER – Have you ever looked at a City of Tyler utility bill and wondered what \u201cSW Automated Res\u201d was? Many people did. That feedback prompted Tyler officials to evaluate the structure and wording of the monthly utility bills. The new design will launch in early 2026 and uses simplified wording, removes jargon, and makes … Continue reading New, simpler Tyler utilities bill<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":1459747,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/wp-content\/media\/2021\/02\/Tyler-Water-Utilities-150x150.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[177],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1459628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news-archive-archives"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-08 09:51:42","action":"change-status","newStatus":"trash","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/wp-content\/media\/2021\/02\/Tyler-Water-Utilities-150x150.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1459628","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/65"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1459628"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1459628\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1460295,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1459628\/revisions\/1460295"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1459747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1459628"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1459628"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ktbb.com\/post\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1459628"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}